Our Brisbane and Melbourne kitchens are finishing the year strong. Collectively, the two kitchens have cooked more than 2.2 million free, nutritious meals for people in need across our communities in 2024! This is an even more astonishing feat given that the revamped Melbourne kitchen only reopened in April, and continues to streamline operations.
An update from the FareShare kitchens and kitchen gardens – December 2024
FareShare Brisbane kitchen
A message from James Fien, General Manager Operations
“As we fast approach the final weeks before the Christmas and New Year festive season, all kitchens are going full on to get as many meals prepared for those struggling with food insecurities. We acknowledge our greatest supporters; our loyal volunteers and the tireless work our teams put in each and every day.
“I hope we all spread the love and joy of Christmas into the New Year. May 2025 bring us all a sense of gratitude & further commitment to delivering nutritious meals to people in our communities struggling with food insecurities.”
FIAQ award
FareShare Brisbane has been named the Food Industries Association of Queensland’s (FIAQ) Food Manufacturer of the Year for 2024.
The winner was selected from a competitive field that determines ‘the business which has made an outstanding contribution to the industry through new products, growth, access to the market, new innovations, or impact on local communities.’
“It was incredibly touching to see FareShare win this award which celebrates talent, innovation, and hard work,” says FIAQ President Jana Cameron.
When announcing the award, the FIAQ mentioned the impact we do in supporting communities, and that they were inspired to see FareShare redefining what success means and in helping others to think differently about the role of food in our communities and the responsibility we share in shaping a more equitable and sustainable future.
Congratulations to the entire FareShare Brisbane team on this remarkable achievement.
Feedback on our First Nations work
Apunipima Aboriginal Health Service love our Meals for the Mob, and so does their community, according to Nerissa Carter, the Community Development Officer at Aurukun Shire Council:
“The Fareshare meals have been an invaluable support for clients at the Aurukun SEWB Centre especially during times of crisis. For many clients, the consistent availability of these meals significantly reduces the stress and anxiety associated with food insecurity, enabling them to concentrate on their mental health and recovery.
“Clients have expressed genuine appreciation for the food provided which further enhances their overall well-being. The act of receiving and sharing these meals is important for emotional healing, particularly for those in a heightened emotional state this allows our SEWB team to engage more effectively in the therapeutic space with clients.
“By addressing both the physical and emotional needs of clients, these meals have become an integral part of the holistic support system at the Aurukun SEWB Centre, helping clients to heal and thrive even in the most challenging times.”
FareShare Melbourne kitchen
FareShare chefs cook Christmas meals
It’s Christmas meal time in the FareShare Melbourne kitchen!
This year, our chefs and volunteers cooked Christmas hams and turkeys into thousands of delicious, festive meals accompanied with roasted vegetables and gravy. The team also cooked vegetarian and vegan mushroom and barley patty meals with roasted vegetables and a vibrant capsicum, tomato and herb sauce.
Some of these Christmas meals were even prepared by celebrity foodie Matt Preston, who participated in a volunteering shift with a friendly group from Coles.
These meals were delivered to a handful of our charity partners, including Fish Creek RSL and Vinnies.
FareShare chefs also cooked around 300 Christmas meals at the annual Fr. Bob Foundation Christmas Lunch at the St. Kilda Town Hall. This was a wonderful chance for our chefs to interact with people in our community, and for them to show off their culinary skills.
HACCP accreditation
A big achievement last month was proudly receiving our HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) recertification following the redevelopment of our Abbotsford site. This certification is a testament to our team’s dedication to maintaining the highest food safety standards.
Recent testimonials
We finish with a couple of lovely bits of feedback we have recieved from meal recipients recently…
1. On 8 Dec, we received wonderful feedback on a pasta dish. Meal recipient Nathan wanted to pass on that “the rigatoni with salami and vegetables meal was the best FareShare meal he had ever eaten, compliments to the chefs and thank you! It was the most amazing pasta I have ever had, it was so good, out of this world! It shows that you guys really care about what you are doing.”
2. A lovely lady, Theresa, also called us recently to ask if she could purchase our meals. Theresa said she’s “tried lots of meals, and this dumplings, rice and vegetable FareShare meal was one of the best.” She and her sister loved it. She will accompany her sister to their local Salvation Army and see if she can get lucky with this meal again.
FareShare kitchen gardens
2024 has been an outstanding, challenging, and pivotal year for our farm and kitchen gardens program! Together, we harvested an incredible 102,575kg of fresh vegetables across our three kitchen garden sites. Our top crops this year were fennel (15,836kg), carrots (15,428kg), zucchini (13,187kg), leeks (10,818kg), cauliflower (8,879kg), and eggplant (8,756kg).
With the crucial support of KS Environmental, we’ve also made great strides in developing our new farm in Dingley. Fencing is now complete, and we’re thrilled to announce the purchase of a tractor to help us prepare for planting in early 2025. Construction is set to commence in the first quarter, and we are so excited for this site to become FareShare’s flagship farm.
To our passionate volunteers—rain, hail, or shine—you’ve been instrumental to everything we’ve achieved. Thank you for your tireless efforts. Every weed you pull, seedling you transplant, and vegetable you harvest helps us create meals that feed so many in need. Your work truly makes a difference. A special thanks once again to Les Baguley for allowing us to use his land.
Looking ahead, we’re planning major expansions at Moorabbin kitchen garden, with support from Moorabbin Airport. At the new farm, we’re launch a propagation program, starting with native plants for dam revegetation and expanding to niche crops like tomatillos and sweet potatoes.
With your help, we’re ready for another year of growth and impact. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. We hope you all can enjoy a relaxing break over the holiday period and look forward to seeing you all in the new year!
